Automatic feed-trough.



No. 855,568. PATBNTBD JUNE 4, 1907.

c. W; G RIswoLD. AUTOMATIC FEED TRoUGH. AIIIPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1906.

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CHESTER WARD GRISWOLD, OF MILAN, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC FEED-TROUGH.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 190'?.

Application filed July 3,1906. Serial No. 324,625.

To @l whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER VARD GiuswoLD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Milan, in the county of Sumner and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Automatic Feed-Trough, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to feed troughs for animals wherein the weight ofthe animals is utilized to uncover the trough at the approach of theanimal and which is automatically closed when the animal retires, andhas for its obj ect to simplify and improve the construction andincrease the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

W'ith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, isillustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the inventioncapable of carrying the same into practicaloperation, it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from theprinciple or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention withinthe scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view of the improved apparatus;and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation.

The improved device is preferably arranged with a plurality of feedtroughs associated with one storage bin or other source of supply, andfor the purpose of illustration the device is shown thus arranged, witha plurality'of the feed troughs and their automatically operatedclosures associated with a single receptacle for the feed.

' The improved device in its approved form consists of a base 10 dividedby spaced vertical partitions 11 into separate transversely disposedcompartments and accessible from opposite sides of the base.

Each compartment is provided with a feed trough 12, preferably of sheetmetal, and also accessible through the open sides of the compartments.

Extending through the partitions 11 near the entrances to thecompartments and transversely thereof are outer tie rods 22, andextending through the partitions nearer their centers and above the feedtroughs and transversely of the compartments, are inner tie rods 18.

VExtending from end to end of the base 1() and above the partitions andthe compartments formed thereby, is a feed receptacle 13 havinghopper-shaped pockets 14 depending between the inner tie rods andcorresponding in number with the compartments, each pocket terminatingin a tubular discharge spaced from the floors of the feed troughs.

The tubular discharge members terminate at a considerable distance abovethe floors of the troughs, so that the coarser qualities of y feed suchas ear corn will freely pass, and to adapt the device to the finerualities of feed such as shelled corn, groun feed and the like, tubularextensions 16 are attached removably to the discharge portions 14 as byclamp screws 17, or other suitable fastening means.

The tubular extensions. or sleeves extend sufficiently near the floor ofthe feed troughs to prevent the feed from escaping too freely, but willbe discharged only so fast as the animal consumes it.

Swinging from the inner tie rods 18 are the closures 19 of the feedtroughs, and swinging upon the outer tie rods 22 are platforms 23, Aonein each compartment, and extending inwardly from each side and towardthe feed troughs.

Extending transversely of the partitions 11 are rods 20, and swingingupon these rods are lever arms 21, preferably two for each of the feedcompartments. The inner ends of the lever arms 21 are connected to thecovers 19 by rods 25, and the outer ends of the lever arms are coupledto the tilting platforms by rods 26, the connecting rods and lever armsbeing so proportioned and arranged that the covers 19 are in closedposition when the platforms are in elevated position. Then it will beobvious that when an animal steps upon one of the movable platforms andthus depresses it, the cover 19 associated with that particular platformwill be `elevated and afford the animal access to the feed in thetrough, while all the other troughs will remain covered.

The covers 19 and their operating mechanism being independent, oneanimal may feed IOO IIO

from any one of the troughs, or as many animals may feed simultaneouslyas there are feed compartments.

The connecting rods 26 pass through brackets 27 on the partitions 11,and each is supplied with a spring 28 bearing at one end upon thebracket and attached at the other end, at 29, to the rod 26, and thusexerting their force to hold the tilting platforms yield ably inelevated position and the covers 19 in closed position, and toautomatically return the covers to their closed position when theanimals retire from the platforms.

Thus the feed troughs are protected when not in use, and access theretoby smaller animals, such as rats, gophers, and the like prevented.

The device may be 'easily adapted to animals of all sizes and species,or to poultry and other stock, as may be required.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting base, aplurality of partitions spaced apart and extending transversely of saidbase and forming a corresponding number of independent compartments openat the sides, a feed trough disposed in each of said compartments andaccessible from the open sides of the same, outer tie rods extendingthrough said partitions and transversely of said compartments near theirouter sides, inner tie rods extending through said partitions andtransversely of said compartments and above said feed troughs, a feedreceptacle extending transversely of said compartments and between saidinner tie rods and having an independent discharge communiv vatedposition, and connecting means be tween said platforms and closureswhereby the depression of the platforms will elevate the closures.

2. In a stock feeding device, a supporting structure, a feed troughlocated upon the v "structure, a feed receptacle provided with adischarge spaced from the bottom of the feed trough, a swin ing closureto the feed trough, a pivoted plat orm mounted upon the structure, alever pivoted upon the structure, a rod connecting one end of said leverwithsaid closure and a spring actuated rod connecting the opposite endof said lever with the free end of said platform.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER WARD GRISWOLD.

Witnesses:

R. S. HAMMOND, ETHEL BEALs.

